The present invention relates generally to Internet communication. More particularly, the present invention relates to Internet communication of parking lot occupancy data.
Locating a vacant parking space is an ordeal that causes frustration for many commuters. Even if a commuter pays to enter a parking lot, valuable time is consumed searching for a parking space within the parking lot. It seems that parking lots that service hospitals, airports, mass transit stations, entertainment forums, shopping malls, and the like are always the most crowded, when time is the most crucial. As urban and suburban regions become more populated, finding a vacant parking space will become increasingly difficult for commuters.
Several prior art devices have attempted to facilitate locating a parking space. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,163 to Kakihara et al. (""163 patent) discloses a system for locating garages with available parking spaces. According to the ""163 patent, the location of a parking garage having available parking is displayed in map format.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,508 to Jackson (""508 patent) discloses a technique for informing vehicle operators of available parking spaces in a parking garage. According to the ""508 patent, light sources mounted above the parking spaces and at the entrance to the parking garage are used to indicate the location of available spaces. The ""508 patent also discloses a computer which collects information concerning parking availability and communicates the information to prospective users. Namely, a person can place a telephone call and receive a voice message indicating whether the parking lot is full.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,782 to Schmitt et al. (""782 patent) discloses a system for finding available on-street parking using an on-board vehicle navigation system and parking meters equipped with sensing devices. According to the ""782 patent, real time metered parking space information can be accessed from a central location or directly by a vehicle, upon entering a specific geographic area.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,940,481 to Zeitman (""481 patent) discloses a parking management control system used to report parking, monitor parking and reserve parking spaces. According to the ""481 patent, a user reports parking in a particular parking facility to a central control unit using a personal non-dedicated mobile communications device. The central control unit then confirms whether parking in the particular parking facility is authorized or not. The central control unit also generates a report indicating which parking facilities are supposed to be vacant for law enforcement officials so that unauthorized parking can be ticketed. The ""481 patent also discloses that a user can reserve a desired parking facility by selecting a desired parking facility from a map provided from the central control unit. If a potential user, other than the registered user, communicates a request to park in the reserved parking facility, the central control unit transmits a response to the potential user indicating that the parking facility is reserved and not authorized for use.
According to the present invention, a server transmits parking lot occupancy information over the Internet. Such parking lot occupancy information is capable of being reproduced by a remote display device as a real-time representation of the parking lot indicating vacant parking spaces. The real-time representation may be in the form of a textual listing, a graphical map, a video image, an Internet Web page or similar form. When presented with the real-time representation of the parking lot, a commuter can readily locate an available parking space or decide to search for parking elsewhere.